Thread by @baffahmad

Dear Arewa,

I am angry! They say 'ana barin halal dan kunya'. The famous motto we live by to prohibit what Allah S.W.T and His Prophet declared as halal. We are quick to condemn everything foreign to our culture. In fact, we regard our culture sometimes above our religion.

It is a thing of pride for a parent to be seen as very strict. You dont know what kids of 12 years know these days. You have no idea! In this troubling times, as a parent, you need to be as close as possible to your kids, especially your daughters! Be her close friend & confidant

We condemn sex education thinking it will destroy our values. Let us quit deceiving ourselves, our children are already aware. As a father or mother, it is your duty to be close to them so that you can discuss such topics with them, or one boy outside will help & teach your girl.

Teach your daughters all tactics of rapist. I believe their most common slogan is 'in kika fada a gida zan yanka ki'. They threaten little girls with death! Take that fear out of your girls. Tell her if she reports, nothing will happen to her & you will be there to protect her!

That victim shaming should STOP! Another reason why rape victims will rather live the rest of their lives with the scar than to tell anyone. Some ladies here at 40 are just opening up on rape incidents that happened 30 years ago! Our society always find justification for rapists.

We have to stop this nonsense. Although modesty will shield you from unnecessary attention, it might not necessarily protect you from rape. Even if a 7yr old girl is naked, what can any sane man possibly desire fisabilillahi? Wani irin masifa ne wannan? Rapists are very sick!

If your daughter gets raped & her first thought is what will my parents think of me, or how can anyone believe me, then you have failed as a parent. If your daughter witnesses her first period and she cant come to her mother or father for help, then you have failed as a parent!

Dear Arewa, we need to be angry! This is just one out of our many problems. But we rather not talk about it & it has become a taboo. We are more concerned about our reputation than protecting our little gils. We cant continue shielding rapits! Rufa-rufa will take us nowhere!

God, the energy we channeled in condemning those dance videos! I wish rape issue gets half. Their only crime was uploading & we descended on them like they commited murder. When our own parents dance publicly at weddings in front of in-laws, children, strangers & we keep quite!

We need to revise some of our exotic cultures & go back to Islam. We prioritize al'ada over addini. We have made weddings so expensive that a lot of our young men are afraid to step up. It might not solve everything, but it will take out few men that cant control their lust.

Also, our boys shouldn't be left alone. We need guidance too! Raise your boys to be kind & just to women. We need the protection as much as girls do. In arewa, our boys are more likely to misbehave & there will no consequence. Being a boy shouldn't be an excuse for bad behaviour.

A lot happen in those boarding schools. Seniors molest little innocent kids. In mixed boarding schools, senior girls rape little boys. The almajiranci you send little boys to far away home & parental love, they get molested & so hardened on streets.This is how some rapists start!

Dear Arewa, we have a long way to go. Our issues keep compounding everyday and we remain silent. Let us keep saying 'ana barin halal dan kunya'. You never know maybe your daughter is being defiled right under your roof by people you thought are family, friends or teachers.

Dear Arewa, this is not an attack on us. We have to start by acknowledging something is terribly wrong & we are guilty of encouraging rape. I just want a society where our little girls can roam the streets without fear of molestation. Yes, we can make it happen! #SayNoToRape

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